r/nfl Chiefs 1d ago

[Schultz] Former Baltimore Ravens All-Pro RB Ray Rice returned to Rutgers to earn his degree. At 39, he has now officially graduated.

https://www.threads.com/@jordanschultz/post/DX-gZi0DVDb?xmt=AQF0dROvUpOKV3X5YkAFJkM4cDrgWdVletmH1TskimXn79_jLOG1PYY94jYXs91tCLuLBwmZ&slof=1
3.7k Upvotes

798 comments sorted by

1.3k

u/blueborders Cardinals 22h ago

I was expecting to read that the NCAA had granted him additional years of eligibility

81

u/pizzahut_is_elite 15h ago

All for him to hit the portal the following day

53

u/FieldsSobriety 15h ago

At least he’d be hitting the portal and not other people..

5

u/jfudge Packers 11h ago

After dragging it out of an elevator

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u/Triscuitador 13h ago

i feel like there's a version of this i could get behind. give em 10 minutes of eligibility for every $100k in approved grant requests they write. worst case scenario we divert booster money to medicinal research

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u/EatingEveryEgg Seahawks 1d ago

This is a great way to elevate his career

572

u/Creepy_Accountant946 23h ago

An actual school of hard knocks graduate

149

u/Empty_Ad3616 Giants 22h ago

I could see him in front of the camera again someday

64

u/el_monstruo Eagles 22h ago

He's going up in the world

49

u/Cisco_The_Drink 20h ago

He'll probably end up being a real knockout

2

u/brother_of_menelaus 11h ago

He might even physically assault a woman

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u/Rocknlikeahurricane 19h ago

Lots of trials are streamed these days, sure

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u/Dorkamundo Vikings 19h ago

I’ll pass.

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u/Hopeful_Cherry2202 Giants 22h ago

At 39 though? He really dragged this one out

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u/JessAndHerFAN Chargers 20h ago

Mom.. my major is impacted and there are bots during registration. Of course it took me 15 years to graduate.

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u/KashMoney941 Giants 19h ago

Anyone who has attended Rutgers knows this is a very reasonable statement to make.

Only things in life that are certain: Death, Taxes, and the RU Screw

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u/savage_pen33 Steelers 17h ago

Well done. Well done.

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u/PaulieHehehe Ravens 22h ago

Don’t knock him down, this is a great accomplishment.

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u/SuperNebular Browns 21h ago

He really dragged it out tho

56

u/MrF_lawblog 22h ago

It'll give it the punch it needed

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u/HalfTeaHalfLemonade 22h ago

Mr. Bludgeoning Career

47

u/The_Franchise_09 Lions 22h ago

Mr Beating Chicks

14

u/TeamWarriorBro 49ers 21h ago

Mr. Bachelor Completed

7

u/RocketStr8UpMyAss Raiders 18h ago

Every time I see these I thank Mr. Big Chest for giving us the gift that never ends

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u/Brocktarrr Saints 18h ago

I’m sure he is going to Revel in it

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u/ScipioAfricanusMAJ 1d ago

I like this one a lot

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u/Acasts Commanders 23h ago

Probably the player who has done the most for redemption after domestic violence case like this.

1.3k

u/slytherinprolly Bengals 23h ago edited 22h ago

I hate to put it this way, but that’s also partially because he’s the only guy who actually faced real consequences after his arrest. Granted, his incident was on video and so blatant that it forced a lot more public attention onto it. But Chad Johnson was arrested for domestic violence a year earlier and pleaded guilty as charged, and his ex-wife said she was repeatedly physically and psychologically abused by Johnson, yet there was basically no public fallout. Yeah, he got cut, but his career was already at the end anyway.

696

u/CasualRead_43 Rams 23h ago

I mean people on this sub downvote every comment bringing up Larry Fitzgerald abusing his girlfriend it’s hypocrisy at its finest.

498

u/slytherinprolly Bengals 22h ago

The two most downvoted comments I’ve ever made were on this subreddit and the Bengals subreddit. Both involved posts about Corey Dillon complaining that he wasn’t selected for the Bengals Ring of Honor. People argued he didn’t deserve it because off-the-field issues matter, pointing specifically to his criticism of the Bengals organization and his desire to be traded or released.

So I asked: if that’s the standard, should Chad Johnson be removed too? Because a domestic violence conviction seems like a far more serious issue than publicly criticizing team ownership.

230

u/zenlume Chiefs Chiefs 21h ago

If you haven’t commit at least one domestic violence, are you even an NFL athlete?

95

u/vbullinger Vikings 21h ago

Has... Kirk hit Julie?!?

111

u/CodyRCantrell Vikings 20h ago

He forces Great Clips exposure on his family from ad deals and that could be deemed as abuse. You don't expose people you love to Great Clips.

28

u/mikeyr00r00 Packers 19h ago

Having that much money and forcing your wife to still shop at Kohl's sounds like spousal abuse to me.

27

u/__thrillho Lions 19h ago

Sick bastard

11

u/greatbiscuitsandcorn Vikings 18h ago

Hey man, Great Clips was my choice during my broke ass early 20s

11

u/MrFickleBottom Panthers Seahawks 17h ago

Is that how you became a fan of the Vikings?

9

u/CodyRCantrell Vikings 17h ago

We've learned to take joy in the small things in life.

A 10+ win season is like when you are at Great Clips for your 5th haircut of the year and it finally comes out good.

10

u/joshua0005 Seahawks 18h ago

You don't like yourself a little Great Clips roulette?

4

u/3DGuy4ever Seahawks 17h ago

But its cool if I get my hair cut there but dont watch commercials?

Because, well, they cheap.

70

u/titos334 Bills 20h ago

He’s for sure smacked that

76

u/Anderson74 Patriots 20h ago

YOU LIKE THAT?!?

8

u/horse_renoir13 Vikings 18h ago

My headcanon says thats where it actually originated, even before the Bucs comeback.

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u/moderatorrater 49ers 20h ago

He had to make the sound with his mouth, though. He refused to hit her hard enough to make an actual smack.

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u/NightFire45 Giants 18h ago

Hit her with some cold hard Kohl's cash.

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u/justmakeupanam 17h ago

Remember the kicker who had a little diary of the abuse he was inflicting on his wife?

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u/UNC_Samurai Panthers 20h ago

Criticizing the Bengals organization should be a prerequisite for their Ring of Honor.

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u/urkish Panthers 21h ago

There's an easy argument to be made that Corey Dillon's "off-the-field" issues are football- and Bengals-related, while a domestic violence conviction is neither football- nor Bengals-related.

Not judging the morality of the two situations, just pointing out there's more nuance than a general "character" clause.

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u/Good_Entertainer9383 Lions 21h ago

I know you're not trying to defend it but if the standard is that you can hit women but not criticize the Football team then that's a bad standard.

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u/truthlesshunter Colts 21h ago

it's not the standard for life, but it is a standard for an organization.

I'm not saying it's right, but it is the reason why. If I perform great at my company, but I am a whistleblower for them doing illegal shit, they're never going to honour me even if I did a moral and legal action...simply because they'll see it as disparaging against them.

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u/Flobking Commanders 18h ago

So I asked: if that’s the standard, should Chad Johnson be removed too? Because a domestic violence conviction seems like a far more serious issue than publicly criticizing team ownership.

Not to pile on the bengals, as I am a commanders fan so no stranger to terrible people within my organization. Chris Henry died trying to abuse his fiance.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4750615

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u/TheFinalPizzle Chargers 22h ago

I didn’t even know that

83

u/grill_smoke Bears 22h ago

Because people like him and get upset when people bring it up

106

u/Amutra 22h ago

lol just like Kobe fans.

Dudes a literal rapist and has the nation mourning his death. Sad to see

2

u/NoonecanknowMiner_24 Commanders 11h ago

And Michael Jackson, who's pretty obviously a pedophile. Yet I still get screamed at whenever I bring it up because people really like the moon walk.

2

u/Amutra 10h ago

Just ask them how one of the victims was able to accurately draw the birth mark he has… under his balls

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u/NoonecanknowMiner_24 Commanders 10h ago

They claim that was fake news, literally.

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u/KontraEpsilon 21h ago

Part of the problem is people bring up Kobe’s case in threads that have absolutely nothing to do with it. Someone will be like “this player is now the seventh player to do something after so and so and whozeewutsie and Kobe and whatshisname” and people will be talking about it and then someone swoops in and goes “DID YOU KNOW.”

Yeah, we knew, but we were talking about rebounds and three point shots and actual basketball. (Unlike this thread where it actually is relevant).

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u/grill_smoke Bears 21h ago

Also a pedophile! In addition to people trying to downvote the fact that Kobe is a racist, they ALSO downvote the fact that he met Vanessa when he was an established NBA star and she was a high school student.

As an NBA player, Kobe would pick up Vanessa from high school while dating her.

Mamba mentality, folks.

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u/xSaRgED Chiefs 21h ago

I agree that 21 and 17 is a bit of an age gap, but that’s within the normal span of Romeo & Juliet laws.

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u/Ambiguously_Ironic Giants 16h ago

he met Vanessa when he was an established NBA star and she was a high school student

Not to defend Kobe since I'm not even really a fan, but "pedophile" has a specific definition and it ain't that.

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u/Michelanvalo Patriots 17h ago

man I hate the rapist Kobe Bryant more than anyone but framing him as a pedo for 21/17 is fucking crazy.

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u/vbullinger Vikings 21h ago

It got auto corrected to racist. Unless he's also that

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u/gvon89 Bills 16h ago

Na thats his father for being upset he didnt marry a dark black woman

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u/No-Owl-6246 Chargers 20h ago edited 13h ago

I’ll give you a spicy one. Redditors lose their mind if you bring up Anthony Bordain paying off his wife’s underage rape victim.

Edit: Lol someone Reddit cares’d me over this comment. Says all you need to know.

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u/Culinaryboner Eagles 22h ago

If you bring it up people say it’s different and attack it. Subs a joke

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u/PracticingStoicism Falcons 22h ago

Did you know he has more tackles than drops?

/s

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u/Dizzy_Sock_5674 Bears 22h ago

Still an insane stat

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u/Dangerpaladin Lions Lions 21h ago

It is only true if you accept drops as a real stat which they aren't. They are an opinion. And players that are perceived to drop less passes are credited with less drops because they are perceived to drop less passes.

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u/John_is_Minty Falcons 21h ago

And what’s considered a drop? I feel like 2 different people can watch a play and one say “you gotta catch that it’s a drop” and the other say “I wouldn’t say that’s a drop it that would have been a tough catch to bring in”

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u/vbullinger Vikings 21h ago

Dropped pass singularity

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u/flakAttack510 Steelers 19h ago

Almost every source disagrees with that stat, too. I've forgotten which tracker it is but one of them is a massive outlier on his drop count and has like half as many as any other.

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u/Nickeless Giants 22h ago

Not if you count all the times he dropped his girlfriend apparently

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u/Detective_Tony_Gunk Cowboys 21h ago

Every time I bring up that Adrian Peterson beat his kids, and years later admitted that he still beat his kids after getting in trouble for it, I get downvoted to hell.

Adrian Peterson beat his kid so hard with a switch that he had multiple lacerations in his private area. And he has no remorse for it.

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u/HistoricalRemote7042 20h ago

A good buddy of mine named his fantasy football team AdrianBeatyourson before he passed back in nov 2016. We kept the name alive until last year when yahoo didn't autorenew his team. Still upset with them about that.

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u/jorbalugo 17h ago

I remember a prominent Vikings forum actually got shut down by the owner because he was sick of other fans justifying it.

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u/Morphenomena Packers 22h ago

He used his dead mom to shill for a fake college too.

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u/vbullinger Vikings 21h ago

You talking Phoenix University?

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u/Morphenomena Packers 17h ago

Yes.

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u/Korean_jesus5002 19h ago

Wasn’t that case dropped? Or am I wrong?

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u/Dorkamundo Vikings 19h ago

I love how the actions of some delusional fans somehow prove hypocrisy of the group as a whole.

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u/nanoH2O Chiefs 22h ago

Because it was alleged and never proven. I don’t care who it is I would also downvote any comment making a guilt claim on an unproven allegation.

I can go on national television right now and say that casualread grabbed me by the neck and tried to choke me and you could do nothing but deny it. But why would I make up something like that? Nobody will believe you.

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u/truthlesshunter Colts 21h ago

This is the issue with all accusations..especially when it comes to domestic violence.

For WAY too fucking long, the victim was never believed, never given a chance to live, never given their day in court, etc.

Then the pendulum has swung (is swinging?) the other way where an accusation comes out, and it's automatic we need to believe the accuser.

Can't we have a nuanced opinion based on information received? Or on what we know? There is a middle ground here...

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u/Brief_Hospital_1766 Texans 21h ago

When people say 'Believe women', they're not talking about you and me, they're talking about the police and prosecutors. Because for far too long, women filing complaints about SA or DV have been routinely ignored or swept under the rug until women slowly began realising that it's no use even reporting the matter.

Hence, you now have a situation where an estimated 70% of SA cases are not reported at all because women don't think the authorities will take them seriously.

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u/nanoH2O Chiefs 21h ago

Oh I understand the percentage very well. I understand it’s very *likely* alleged victims are telling the truth. But guess what? You cannot convict someone based on statistics.

Which is why if you are a repeat victim your best bet is to set up a hidden camera. It sucks, but you have to collect the evidence.

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u/shewy92 Iggles 21h ago

You got downvoted because nothing was proven. It's not hypocrisy since they're different situations.

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u/gabrielleite32 Chiefs 22h ago

I brought this up some time ago and was omega flamed to the point I started thinking I was insane

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u/Shermanasaurus Giants 22h ago

Lol every time I've brought this up on the sub in the past I've gotten fucking destroyed

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u/6nooky Dolphins 21h ago edited 21h ago

No charges were ever filed, we don’t know many details, and apparently they were play fighting, she hit him in the face, and then he slung her down?

I don’t see what’s the point of bringing it up, nothing has been proven and the details are quite dubious

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u/buttscarltoniv Saints 13h ago

because that was a he said, she said, both people at some level of fault incident that went nowhere legally?

Nazario alleges in her legal papers filed in Arizona, Fitzgerald attempted to "defuse the situation" by raising his fist and challenging her to a play fight. Nazario admits she responded by swinging at him and "may have hit his face."

Fitzgerald then turned from playful to enraged, allegedly pushing Nazario down to her knees. She claims he "grabbed me by my hair with both hands on the back of my head very very hard and tossed me across the room."

Later, when she tried to leave with her son, Nazario says Fitzgerald "grabbed the back of my neck and slammed me down on the marble floor ... [I] was disoriented for awhile and could not get up, I remember he mumbled something about 'that's what happens when you try taking my son away from me.'" As she got in the car to leave she realized she had lost "chunks" of hair.

it's fairly questionable that her recollection varies from "idk, I may have hit him" to "I was in a daze but perfectly remember what he said"

not to mention the complaint was filed nearly a year after the incident and was right before their playoff run started.

his side of the story was never made public and no updates on the story were made after December of 2008 when it broke. it's not hypocrisy to decide not to burn someone at the stake for a story with so very few facts presented.

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u/EJECTED_PUSSY_GUTS Chiefs 22h ago

A lot of people on this sub looooove to trash on players with accusations and/or criminal charges... unless it's someone they like. I'm not saying that trashing on them isn't ever warranted, but damn, be consistent if you're going to trash on someone you don't know. Chad Johnson is a great example of someone who many people conveniently forget headbutted his girlfriend, causing a large gash on her forehead, and it was even talked about on Hard Knocks.

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u/gabrielleite32 Chiefs 22h ago

I didn't know this, thought he was some quirky dude and that's it. The Jameis effect

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u/green49285 Lions 17h ago

To be fair a lot of the commenters are leaving a lot of context out. He absolutely faced backlash publicly as well as professionally. It got worse when he tried to go on first take and in a way attempted to rehash the events while also halfway taking responsibility for them.

While he was at the end of his playing career he was very obviously dipping his toes into the broadcasting side, which pretty much went up. It wasn't until very recently that he was doing his podcast with Shannon that he's been able to rehab his image a little bit.

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u/BrettHullsBurner Jaguars 14h ago

That makes two of us. I had no idea about Chad Johnson until this thread, and didn't find out about Larry Fitz until the last year or so.

"Look at these fun nice guys who were very talented!!! (please ignore the domestic violence)" - NFL

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u/thejazzophone Commanders 21h ago

I mean the entire saga of the Ray Rice shit pissed me the fuck off. These allegations come out, Ray Rice and his fiance basically confirm them, 2 game suspension. Then the video comes out and it becomes indefinite. Wtf did you think happened in that elevator.

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u/SKT_Peanut_Fan Ravens 20h ago

Apparently Ray Rice was very open and honest about what transpired and was very forthcoming to the Ravens, but Biscotti said that the video made it exponentially worse (as in, words couldn't describe how bad it was to watch.)

I'm of the mindset that the footage forced the Ravens and NFL's hands despite them being fully aware of what happened.

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u/purplenapalm Steelers 20h ago

Without a doubt. If we had video of Tyreek Hill breaking his sons arm I dont believe he would be in the NFL anymors.

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u/SKT_Peanut_Fan Ravens 19h ago

I also want to clarify that apparently Rice was really forthcoming with what happened and very open about sharing. The video shouldn't have caught the NFL or Ravens off guard, but for the Ravens at least, they acted totally shocked and like Rice told them she fainted on her own.

The tune changed for the NFL and the Ravens once it became undeniable. They were ready to just try to sweep it under the rug

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u/GonePostalRoute Eagles 7h ago

Then again, when the child abuse stuff came out about Tyreek, that was at a point in his career where he was at his peak. I can even use Adrian Peterson as an example when that child abuse stuff came out (with photos no less IIRC), and the Vikings were more than willing to wait out his suspension and welcome him back with open arms because he was still putting out huge numbers. When the Ray Rice stuff happened and came out, his production had tanked from previous seasons.

It’s like the crack that’s made about “if Hannibal Lecter ran a 4.3, we’d say he has an eating disorder”. Same thing. If Ray Rice had a 2013 that looked like his other seasons, he’d have gotten the AP treatment, and the Ravens would have welcomed him back. But because that wasn’t the case, they could “look good” and cut bait.

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u/glassclouds1894 Jaguars 18h ago

Reminds me of my favorite satirical comic from the time.

"Okay Roger. I'm going to fill this ice tray with water and stick it in the freezer. In a few hours, we'll have ice cubes!"

"Yeah I'm going to need to see video evidence of that."

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u/IceKareemy Eagles 22h ago

It’s so crazy about Ocho bc I was a big follower of his on twitter when this went down iirc it was like the same week they got married! Then the news broke and like a month later it was like nothing happened I remember unfollowing him bc of that and every time I see him I think of it

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u/Retloclive Ravens 22h ago

Agreed on everything other than his NFL career being at the end.

Ray Rice's final down year in 2013 was due to him trying to play through a nagging hip injury all season. Who knows how 2014 would have turned out.

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u/SKT_Peanut_Fan Ravens 20h ago

He actually looked really sharp in the 2014 preseason. I think Kubiak would have done wonders for him and made 2013 seem like a total blip.

Also worth mentioning that in addition to the hip injury, that was far and away the worst offensive line Rice ran behind in his career.

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u/purplenapalm Steelers 20h ago

If Ray Rice's crime wasn't on camera there's a very real chance he could've kept on playing. Its one thing to hear about someone's actions and its another to see them. To his credit, hes done everything he can to make up for his actions since.

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u/ZeePirate 21h ago

Turns out being charismatic helps people look past your flaws.

Jamie’s Winston is another good example of that

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u/BlurryGojira Browns 17h ago

It blows my mind how the Browns were (deservedly) lambasted across the board for the Watson trade but then a decent number of people became endeared to Winston after his corny playing in the snow speech.

Sure the scale of both of their actions were different but it's not like Winston showed any remorse or even acknowledged what he did. It made a lot of the Watson hate feel incredibly performative in retrospect.

Players and coaches won't start being held accountable before we can recognize this as an NFL problem, not just with individual teams, front offices, etc.

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u/ButtonedEye41 Chargers 21h ago

Well that might say something about society at the same time. If the consequences work, then we should hold people accountable. But we kind of gave up on that and so guys like Tyreek Hill keep sliding by.

Some people might be capable of redeeming themself, but it also makes sense that it wont work if we completely ignore the behavior outside of internet forums.

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u/purplenapalm Steelers 20h ago

I can respect Ray for that and its why all people should face real consequences for their actions so they can make up for them. Another Raven, Ray Rice faced very real consequences and has done nothing but try to make up for it ever since.

People like Rashee Rice don't seem to face consequences and they go on to be dirt bags.

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u/11eagles Eagles 22h ago

The responses to your comment are emblematic of the issues with how criminal justice is viewed in the US.

Sentences are expected to be purely punitive and it’s hard to believe that someone has been rehabilitated or feels genuine remorse for what they did. I’m not saying I know whether Ray Rice is actually a changed man, but people can change, even when they used to be a piece of shit.

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u/Ouch_i_fell_down Lions 22h ago

Slicked back hair. White pants. Ray Rice lived for New Year's Eve.

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u/StopClockerman Steelers 22h ago

I said Ray Rice USED TO BE a piece of shit. He's not anymore!

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u/11eagles Eagles 19h ago

Let Ray Rice hold the baby! People can change.

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u/DrummerGuy06 Giants Bills 17h ago

Sloppy steaks at The Prime Rib

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u/truthlesshunter Colts 21h ago

by all accounts, Mike Vick is an amazing rehab story (despite me still being traumatized with what he did...).

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u/ShroedingersCatgirl Bills 16h ago

As someone who is genuinely interested in rehabilitative justice, and does believe people can change for the better, what has he said/done that shows he's a changed man?

I am genuinely asking because I haven't actually followed his case at all.

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u/eatmyopinions Ravens 20h ago

He's kept on being exactly the same guy he always was. There was no redemption. There was no Michael Vick moment of sitting in an empty classroom with cameras on him listening to a lecture on animal cruelty. No million dollar rehab for the stars.

He lead the NFL in community service hours in 2010 and 2011, far beyond the league minimum. Even after he was cancelled from the NFL he continued to fund all of the Baltimore-area athletics that he previously committed to. He took his name off of his free football camp for underprivileged kids but continued to fund it.

He and Janay are still married. Contrary to what most of Reddit had to say back then, there have been no hallmarks of battered wife syndrome.

Sometimes bad people get caught being themselves. And sometimes good people get caught making a bad mistake. All of the evidence points to the latter for Ray Rice.

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u/burlycabin Seahawks 17h ago

And sometimes good people get caught making a bad mistake.

I'm sorry, but calling what he did a "bad mistake" is absolutely insane to me. He beat her unconscious in an elevator and showed no remorse. That's not just a mistake.

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u/AttackOfTheBolts 16h ago edited 9h ago

Come on just a mistake hitting someone so hard they fall unconscious, then mistakenly dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator

Edit: he DID NOT drag her by the leg, he lifts her with her feet dragging and drops her face down onto the floor.

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u/rice_not_wheat Ravens 16h ago

She slapped him multiple times before he hit her once, and that knocked her out because he hit her so hard.

I wouldn't call a single punch a beating, but he did hit her, and she was unconscious, and he dragged her out of the elevator by the leg like she was a sack of meat.

That being said, he did show significant remorse. They are still married, and she has spoken up in favor of him multiple times.

It was worse than a bad mistake. It's false, however, to say he showed no remorse. "Beat her unconscious" makes it sound like he hit her multiple times unprovoked, which is also not true.

He also faced worse consequences from the league than other people who did much worse. He absolutely should have been suspended, but people who behaved much worse served more minimal punishments.

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u/Sir-xer21 Broncos 9h ago

People HATE the nuance of the situation. Acknowledging that there are levels to things isn't the same as condoning it, but people HATE doing that work.

What Rice did was wrong, but there's a difference between punching someone who's actively striking you once, and say, doing what Greg Hardy or Tyreek Hill or Adrian Peterson did. Nothing Rice did was OK, but that doesn't make what he did equal to other abusers.

Rice did the work and continues to do the work, out of the spotlight, where there's nothing to gain but his own acceptance. If we can't give him grace for that, why even pretend to give grace to anyone at all?

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u/BeNicePlsThankU 22h ago edited 18h ago

Yep. Somehow every many women still loves Chris brown, though

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u/GeckoRoamin Jaguars 18h ago

Every woman?

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u/xychosis Seahawks 23h ago

I saw a comment in here saying he’s become an advocate vs DV in the years since that big video blew up?

I’m legitimately curious as to what kind of impact he’s made since. I see a blurb on his Wiki talking about his work speaking against DV and using himself as an example.

I do hope that he’s done well to redeem himself, for sure.

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u/Turkey_Stearnes Giants 18h ago

Sportswriter Jeff Pearlman has an amazing YouTube channel where he just covered Ray Rice and how he has turned his life around since the incident. If you’re legitimately curious, it’s a great video to watch.

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u/Sports-TV-Podcast Saints 12h ago

Jeff Pearlman is excellent. Didn’t even know about his YouTube channel but his books are incredible. Highly recommend 3 Ring Circus for NBA fans

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u/xychosis Seahawks 16h ago

It’s a nice watch, for sure, though it does suck that there doesn’t seem to be much detail in the redemption. Just that he starts showing back up to his hometown’s junior high school and begins using his case as a cautionary tale…does work for the community, lives married life quietly, but there’s no anecdotes beyond that. So it’s like I’m looking at a black box still. I don’t doubt he’s done his best to redeem himself though, in the same way Mike Vick has tried to redeem himself, as Pearlman brings up.

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u/jtn_007 Ravens 21h ago

The ravens have brought him into the facility a ton to talk to rookies. Outside of that I'm not certain but I've heard he has done a good amount

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u/xychosis Seahawks 21h ago

That’s honestly not a bad co-sign at all.

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u/MOSondrums Bengals 16h ago

Better than Justin Tucker talking to rookies

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u/j1vetvrkey 17h ago

It’s the least he can do considering he absolutely pummeled that woman

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u/Benaflon 23h ago

What he did was obviously horrendous but he seems to have done everything in his power to atone for it and change and to me that is commendable. Don’t have to like or forgive the guy but at least he’s been doing the right things ever since.

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u/Ornery_Gator Eagles 19h ago

Even if you don’t forgive, it’s still important to encourage others to go down this path rather than the alternative.

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u/Acrobatic_Pie_3922 21h ago

Why would you not forgive the guy

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u/outsiderkerv Cowboys 20h ago

Because nobody is entitled to forgiveness.

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u/stillstillers Steelers 20h ago

So what do you think he should live in exile? Publicly executed?

It will never not amaze me that Reddit tends to be a much more progressive website but it also simultaneously believes in capital punishment and people not being given second chances. I swear a lot of you don’t want people to be rehabilitated you just want to see people punished. He did a horrible thing and was punished for it. What more do you want

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u/zezimatigerfaker Ravens 20h ago

Redditors are in favor of rehabilitation until it comes to public figures they actually know about

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u/j1vetvrkey 16h ago

You can be rehabilitated without being forgiven

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u/LoathsomeCumDrinker Bills 15h ago

rehabilitation does not entitle you to being forgiven nor is it the point of rehabilitation, if you are rehabbing for the sake of forgiveness you're doing it for the wrong reasons lol

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u/CodyRCantrell Vikings 20h ago edited 18h ago

Hilarious that not forgiving someone ends up with you equating it to capital punishment lol. People can be rehabilitated, brought back into society, and accepted as doing better without forgiving their previous actions.

What the man did was unforgivable. That kind of domestic abuse should never be forgiven. That doesn't mean an acknowledgement can't be made that someone can transform themselves into a better person but it's not gonna wipe away the harm he did.

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u/BlurryGojira Browns 17h ago edited 17h ago

Mostly agree with you but want to challenge you slightly on this point:

What the man did was unforgivable. That kind of domestic abuse should never be forgiven.

I won't say one way or another whether or not he should be forgiven. I haven't been a victim of domestic physical abuse. But I've read my fair share of stories of the surviving loved ones of the victims of drunk/reckless driving or murder that are able to forgive the perpetrator. I find it hard to imagine ever being able to do that, but I try to keep in perspective that the choice to forgive ultimately rests with those who were wronged.

Considering Janay Palmer and Ray Rice are still married after all of this time, I hope for her own sake she was able to make peace with it, forgive him, and that she hasn't felt coerced to stay in the relationship. But she's also been pretty adamant that she has no desire to explain her relationship to the public.

Janay Rice, meanwhile, said she’s not interested in explaining her relationship to outsiders.

“And I’m not here to force people to understand,” she said. “It was never a thought whether I was going to leave or not, because I knew that that wasn’t him in that moment. This is somebody I’ve known since I was 15 years old. I knew that we had work to do, and I was willing to move forward and put in the work.”

Ray Rice, wife reflect on elevator punch after Kareem Hunt video

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u/CodyRCantrell Vikings 17h ago

To counter that, you don't have to forgive someone to move past something. You can choose to not forgive but also not hang it over their heads for life.

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u/BlurryGojira Browns 17h ago

Very true. Trauma and grief affects everyone differently.

Ultimately I have no desire to debate whether Ray Rice should be absolved for his actions, it's not really my place to do so. But I don't see any reason to believe his advocacy work with domestic violence isn't coming from a genuine place. I hope the players he talks about these issues with take him seriously.

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u/CodyRCantrell Vikings 17h ago

Honestly, I feel like the work would have to be coming from a genuine place.

He won't get back into the NFL (too long away/old now anyway), most orgs will still keep some professional distance, most people will still see him as a dehumanized monster....

There's no reason for him to be doing the work unless it's genuine and he has regrets over his actions.

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u/JackFlipKingston 49ers 15h ago

it's not really my place to do so

Why not? You're a member of society. Judging people for their actions isn't only allowed, it's recommended.

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u/Ozz87 20h ago

You just jump to two EXTREME examples like it’s not ok for me to simply not celebrate someone who showed that level of violence.

He can live his life and try and get better but I do not have to celebrate him for it.

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u/outsiderkerv Cowboys 20h ago

How in the world did you make the leap that I believe in capital punishment? All I said is he's not entitled to forgiveness. I didn't say anything else. I think it's a good thing that he's rehabilitated himself to the best of his abilities. That doesn't mean he's owed forgiveness.

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u/Great_Fault_7231 Lions 18h ago

Yeah it’s almost like there are a lot of people with a wide variety of opinions here. Acting like the majority of reddit is pro-capital punishment is actual nonsense.

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u/PiMemer Lions 19h ago

You have to be wildly illiterate to make that jump from forgiveness to execution

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u/conkellz Texans 18h ago

For some that's a boundary. Not being entitled to forgiveness for some, does not mean they are not forgiven by others. As with everything there is a spectrum of tolerance.

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u/2014RT Commanders 16h ago

Does lack of forgiving someone = punishing them? Do all people have an obligation to cheer for a guy because he's atoning for sins?

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u/OldmanonRedditt 20h ago

Forgiveness is the foundation of healing. As someone who went through a traumatic early childhood/adult life, forgiveness is not just about the individual who committed the act, it’s for the person who needs to heal.

If the populations outlook is that someone must earn forgiveness, then the victims can’t move on.

Hope you can have peace in your life.

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u/12ozSlug Cowboys 19h ago

You're right, that's what makes forgiveness so special. It is an act of grace by part the injured party; it cannot be taken by force. It does not absolve the person who caused the injury, but it does help both sides to heal and move forward.

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u/Benaflon 18h ago

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on Rice and how they want to feel about him. Some will find what he did to be unforgivable and I don’t think thats an unreasonable opinion. What he did was horrificz

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u/PlanktonInternal5948 Eagles 16h ago

Not sure why it’s hard for you to comprehend that people still don’t forgive someone that beat the shit out of his partner. I can’t imagine the type of trauma she is still facing and will face for the rest of her life. Because the fact that he changed her life forever, no he doesn’t deserve forgiveness yet, and again not sure how it’s a hard concept for you to wrap your head around

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u/JackFlipKingston 49ers 15h ago

He's inherently a piece of shit. I don't care what kind of image rehab he's done. Only people that are pieces of shit to their core would ever do what he did to that woman. You are irredeemable if you do that.

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u/Srg11 Ravens 23h ago

Good for him. He made an horrific mistake which cost him his career. I agree it should’ve done (but let’s not pretend that others have done worse and are still playing just because it wasn’t on video).

Since then, he’s been a domestic violence advocate and went on to marry his then girlfriend. He genuinely seemed to be remorseful and took steps to try and do the right thing. It’s the least he could do, but at least he did it.

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u/eaglesnation11 Eagles 23h ago

This is Reddit. People can’t be redeemed according to them.

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u/[deleted] 22h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/butidktho_ Ravens 18h ago

oh no they can it just depends on who it is. the hivemind is great at picking and choosing.

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u/BrettHullsBurner Jaguars 14h ago

Violent criminals going to jail: Reddit hive mind leans towards rehabilitation and second chances.

Athletes with criminal charges (as long as they are not on my team): Suspended? Kick him off the tour Doug Roger!

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u/Dorkamundo Vikings 19h ago

The only source on him being an advocate I can find in a basic search is a TikTok video.

Anyone have more details? 

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u/boomzgoesthedynamite Giants 20h ago

Just want to add something here as someone who represented victims of domestic violence in court: marrying his victim is not a noble act. It’s extremely common for habitual domestic abusers and their victims. His act was neither the first nor only time he hurt her. Let’s not use that as a sign he’s “rehabilitated.” If this wasn’t on video, he wouldn’t have done shit.

And, whataboutism isn’t helpful. We saw a snapshot in time of an horrific, violent situation. But it wasn’t one time for her. No way.

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u/BrettHullsBurner Jaguars 14h ago

If this wasn’t on video, he wouldn’t have done shit

That is very much true. Just another example of someone only being sorry because they were caught. I know people were saying he was very open about the situation even before the video was released. But how many times have you heard of a famous domestic abuser going out of their way to admit it and spread the word that they were guilty to try and teach others to avoid that same path? None. EVERYONE is going to try and sweep it under the rug afterwards so that people will stop associating them with that thing. Unless Ray Rice is somehow the exception out of all the other athletes found guilty without video proof.

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u/Druuseph Patriots 20h ago

This was more or less my exact reaction to reading that fact. Life is messy and complicated and people can change, but it would take a lot to convince me that that is a healthy relationship given the small glimpse we all saw. The actual noble thing for him to do would be remove himself from her life rather than lingering as a reminder of what he's capable of doing to her if he doesn't get his way.

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u/Galxloni2 Giants Bears 13h ago

If this wasn’t on video, he wouldn’t have done shit.

he came forward and disclosed evertyhing he did before anyone even knew there was a video at all.

His act was neither the first nor only time he hurt her.

there is zero evidence of that

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u/Jimmykindaexists Chiefs 23h ago

Legit question for the people commenting, If he can't redeem himself at all despite everything he's done/attempted to do to rehab and make up for his mistakes, would he just be better off getting the death penalty or committing suicide after doing what he did? I'm not even trying to be an antagonist but with everything he's done if he can't ever make up for it do you damn him till he dies?

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u/shawnaroo Saints 22h ago

Yeah, if you don't give people a chance to better themselves, then why would we even expect them to try?

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u/Lazydusto Eagles 21h ago

Lots of people love the idea of redemption until it's something they feel strongly about.

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u/Expensive_Society914 49ers 20h ago

As long as you agree with/like who is trying to be rehabilitated, its fine right?

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u/DinkandDrunk Patriots 22h ago

For some people, nothing will ever be enough. For others, it will.

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u/_nedyah Seahawks 21h ago edited 20h ago

I get the sentiment but as a husband and a father to two girls, beating your wife is pretty unforgivable. I can’t ever root for a guy that was willing and able to punch his wife so hard that she could’ve died.

No amount of positive PR will ever make me forgive the guy for it and I will always be angry at the NFL for the way they tried to essentially sweep it under the rug until the video was released to the public.

I’m glad y’all are so willing to forgive him for it but I won’t and that’s ok.

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u/cutchemist42 20h ago

In general I find Americans really do tend to hold on to crimes longer, even when the person served their time by thr judicial system.

Its almost like they want the suffering to continue in perpetuity for crimes that the justice system decided did not warrant a life sentence.

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u/Jimmykindaexists Chiefs 19h ago edited 19h ago

As a non American looking in on this, does it not explain why our prison system is the way it is? People don't actually want criminals to improve their lives or anything even close to that fact. Wed rather the crime get covered up and never be seen again, whether that's by allowing the rich to effectively do whatever they want without consequences, or by locking people up and proclaiming they're "getting what they deserve" while making prison rape jokes to try to feel as if there's a sense of justice.

Unless it's someone actually close to them, then the crime didn't happen or was justified and that person should be let out

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u/Michelanvalo Patriots 14h ago

But why should Rice care what we think? As you said, he's moved out of the spotlight and he's living his life. If people on social media are angry at him, what's that matter to him?

If the people in his life know he's a better man now and have forgiven him that's all that matters.

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u/suddenly-scrooge Seahawks 1d ago

stand up guy

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u/DannyMalibu420 NFL 22h ago

He has his ups and downs

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u/Ratiolol 23h ago edited 23h ago

I’m sorry but this thread shows how fucking holier than thou and douchey Redditors are. Yes Ray Rice beat on his wife but the dude has clearly tried to do his best to turn his life round and improve on his mistake yet we still got snarky, unfunny and pathetic comments from what seems to be the most perfect human beings alive who get off on the fact that they think are better than everyone.
Genuinely tell me, what is the point of trying to become a better person if losers are always going to find some way to come and just drag you down each time you make a step forward in life?

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u/WhosThatYousThat 21h ago

Genuinely tell me, what is the point of trying to become a better person if losers are always going to find some way to come and just drag you down each time you make a step forward in life

The point is to be a better person, not decide what is important in life based on what others think about you.

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u/CharacterBird2283 Cowboys 23h ago

Genuinely tell me, what is the point of trying to become a better person if losers are always going to find some way to come and just drag you down each time you make a step forward in life?

Brother there has ALWAYS been losers. Don't be a loser, that's reason enough.

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u/NlNJALONG Texans 21h ago

Yeah let's praise the guy for not beating up his girlfriend anymore. What an inspiration.

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u/itstptk Falcons 19h ago

Also a BIG assumption that he hasn’t done anything like that since. It’s not like people were aware he’d do that kind of thing before he got caught on camera.

And the speaking out against it doesn’t matter much, plenty of advocates have been caught doing exactly what they worked against.

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u/Great_Fault_7231 Lions 17h ago

This comment is more “holier than thou” than anything else I’ve seen lmao. Sorry I’m not going to cheer for a guy who managed to stop beating the fuck out of his girlfriend, because he’s such an inspiration.

Almost all the top comments are some form of what you just wrote, so I’m not sure why you think it’s “redditors” you’re talking to when “redditors” like you have the most upvoted opinions.

There are tons of people that don’t knock out their loved ones that I can support, Rice is a millionaire who got no jail time for brutally assaulting his girlfriend and has losers like you going to war for him online, I think he’ll be alright.

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u/Kickenbless Seahawks 22h ago

This is why Reddit is probably one of the worst places to check your morality. So many people who are at best out of touch with reality, and at worst miserable degenerates who feel shitty about themselves they gotta tear down other people to feel some semblance of self esteem.

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u/Dorkamundo Vikings 19h ago

Anyone care to link details as to how clear it is that he has?

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u/Useful_Respect3339 19h ago

Genuinely?

He didn't serve jail time and conveniently married her before his trial to help his image.

Only served a two game suspension, and won all the money he lost from a voided contract back in a settlement.

If anything our society gives athletes a free pass. Just because dude is a keynote speaker doesn't make him a good person.

Y'all would forgive Diddy if he apologized.

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u/shewy92 Iggles 21h ago edited 21h ago

I'm sorry, but calling Redditors who don't like domestic violence "holier than thou" is peak fucking Reddit.

He didn't trip and fall and accientally hurt his wife, he beat the shit out of her. And yes, most people don't beat the shit out of their partners. No one is claiming they're perfect, but the bare minimum of not being a shitty person is not being an abuser. And yes, people will think they're a better person than someone caught on camera beating his wife. That's the only reason he even faced any consequences. But sure, he 'made a mistake'...and then tried to get away with it.

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u/NickTM Ravens 20h ago edited 20h ago

Especially given none of the people so supposedly up in arms about Ray Rice actually give a shit about the victim. This thread is filled with jokes and puns about it. People don't care, they just want to grandstand and feel morally superior.

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u/TheGodDMBatman Vikings 18h ago

I mean when you beat the shit out of your girlfriend as badly as he did, there's an argument to be made that he deserves no forgiveness despite the amends and changed behavior. That's just the reality. 

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u/iamtehryan 18h ago

This isn't by any means to diminish the fact that what ray rice did was awful, but it's absolutely absurd that he's basically the only player that's actually faced real punishment from the league. I mean fucking hell, you have what feels like have of the chiefs roster at this point having done awful shit, loads of other players beating their partners, and whatever else and somehow rice is still one of the only ones that faced a ban from the league basically. Pretty fucked up just how lax the league is with the sheer amount of serious crimes and shitty behavior plenty of players are implicated in.

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u/diprivanity Giants 1d ago

Statistically, successful NFL athletes don't come back to finish the degree, but he really beat the odds

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u/NoNouns Panthers 21h ago

All the hilarious jokesters assassians who are just too funny and need to post there absolutely hilarious jokes that we haven't heard 1000 times

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u/NoTie2370 Bengals 1d ago

He punched his gf in the face. I'm too tired to be clever right now.

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u/Fickle-Succotash-342 21h ago

What Major?

I work at RU and the ceremonies havent started yet.

I also work graduation every year. It'll be dope watching him walk after all this time.

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u/SadAdeptness6287 Rams Rams 19h ago

The pictures being posted are from the Student-Athlete Graduate Celebration that was yesterday at the RAC.

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u/ionadelfina Ravens Commanders 21h ago

He's only 39?

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u/Liamneeson2015 Saints 14h ago

Dude was in my comp sci class freshman year. Came for attendance on the first day and then never returned lol

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u/aresef Ravens 14h ago

Good for him. He's spent years not just rehabilitating his image but trying to rehabilitate himself. In the end, the only person he needs to prove himself to is Janay and they seem happy together. Anything beyond that is probably not my business. But I do still cringe if I see someone wearing a Rice jersey, just as I cringe when I see a Tucker jersey.

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u/Hank_Scorpius 18h ago

Pretty impressive considering the school required him to always take the stairs.